Save Me
by Keiko Fujiwara
Summary: For some unknown reason, Winry's maternal uncle obtained her legal guardianship. Winry was stripped of her life in Risembool and now has to live in Central with her abusive uncle. She hates it. How will Ed respond when he finds out about the abuse? More importantly, will he be able to save her from this hellish life?If you loved 'Her Shine,' you will certainly love this one! :


**If You liked "Her Shine," You will LOVE this one! :)**

**DISCLAIMER:**

**I DO NOT OWN FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST IN ANYWAY! **

**Rated: T**

**Reason: **

**Heavy-duty abuse **

**(NOT SEXUAL ABUSE! JUST PHYSICAL!)**

**WARNING:**

**THIS FANFICTION WILL CONTAIN PHYSICAL ABUSE! IF YOU FEEL YOU WOULD BE UNCOMFORTABLE READING THIS, PLEASE READ OTHER EDxWIN FANFICTIONS BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME REALLY GREAT ONES OUT THERE!**

**FURTHERMORE, IF YOU DECIDE TO READ THIS FANFICTION, I WILL PUT WARNINGS SO FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DO NOT WANT TO READ THE PHYSICAL ABUSE IN THIS STORY, YOU MAY SCROLL DOWN WHEN STATED!**

**I would like to thank the FanFiction User**** "****midnight psych" ****because he/she gave me this wonderful idea! :)**

**I IMPLORE YOU TO READ HER STORY CALLED "LIVEN ME UP INSIDE" ! **

**FURTHERMORE:**

**I am not depressed in anyway. **

**Like my previous Fanfiction, Her Shine, this was an idea that popped in my head. **

**Like "Her Shine," This was an attempted one-shot but I got toooooo carried a way! More info will be stated after end of first chapter. **

**鋼の錬金術****師**

**Save Me**

Keiko Fujiwara

**鋼の錬金術****師**

As Ed and Al approached the Rockbell house, Ed couldn't help but wonder about how his best friend as well as Automail mechanic, Winry, was doing. He didn't know why he often thought about her, he just did. His guess: It was something to do to pass the time.

"Brother, are you excited?" Al asked as he clanked next to Ed.

"I kinda need a little more context to answer that question, Al." Ed laughed. For some reason, he was in a great mood! In fact, he hasn't felt so fantastic in days. Why? He hadn't a clue.

"Sorry Brother. Are you excited to see Winry? You haven't stopped thinking about her since we left Central." Al stated.

"What?! Says who!?" Ed asked, embarrassed that his brother has found him out.

"Your face! I know that 'I'm thinking of Winry' face! Every time we head home, if you aren't sleeping, you always gaze in the distance with a small smile on your face. It's a little bit cute if you ask me." Al chuckled.

"DON'T CALL ME LITTLE!" Ed shouted as he waved his arms in the air.

'He didn't even deny it…' Al thought. 'I wonder what's got him so cheery.'

Suddenly, Ed said, "Hey Al…Wanna race?"

"Alright, sure!" Al replied as he and his brother lunged into position.

"OH MY GOSH! WHAT'S THAT KITTEN DOING OVER THERE!?" Ed screamed as he pointed behind Al.

"Where?!" Al asked as he spun around to see what his older brother was pointing at. "Hey, I don't s—"

But he was too late. Ed had already bolted down the path, leaving a trail of dust behind him.

"BROTHER! THAT'S ROTTEN OF YOU!" Al screamed as he ran after Ed. "HAVE SOME DIGNITY!"

When Al arrived, Ed said, "I have all the dignity in the world. It's called: Older Brother Pride. If I can fool you into thinking there's a pathetic kitten behind you, I've still got my pride."

"All that playing dirty will bite you in the butt one day." Al stated as his brother smirked.

"Maybe but not today!" Ed chuckled as he opened the door but frowned when he saw dozens of boxes stacked in the hallway. 'What's going on?' He and Al entered as Ed said, "YO! YA OLD BAT! YA HERE?!"

"No need to shout, Pipsqueak." Pinako replied, standing a few feet to their right in the kitchen.

"WHO'RE CALLING SO SMALL THAT HE CAN'T SEE YOU BEYOND A HYDROGEN MOLECULE?!" Ed ranted as Al slapped his head.

"Calm down, Tinny Mini. Don't get your panties in a wad." Pinako replied as she placed another box into the hallway.

"MIDGET WIDGET FREAK!"

"SMALLMETAL ALCHEMIST!"

"MICROMINNIE GRANNY!"

"Puh-lease, Ed. At least come up with a newer name! Microminnie Granny is getting redundant." Pinako stated.

"YOU STARTED IT!" Ed yelled, not wanting to admit that she was right.

"AND YOU CONTINUED IT!" Pinako shouted and then added; "Now if you please, I have work to do."

"Granny, what's going on? Why are there so many boxes?" Al asked.

"Come Al. I'll tell you if you'll help me carry the larger boxes." Pinako smiled with a hint of sadness.

"Sure! No problem!" Al replied as he followed Pinako into the kitchen. Ed, on the other hand, walked up the stairs and knocked on Winry's door.

"Come in!" a voice chimed.

Ed opened the door and said, "You know, Win, you really shouldn't tell anyone who knocks to come in your room. What if I was a serial rapist or something?!"

"Well, it wasn't hard to hear your constant name calling challenge with my grandmother. I mean, come on Ed! Grow up for a change!" she replied as she placed some items in a box.

"Why are you packing?" Ed asked.

"Well….to make the long story short, I'm leaving…" Winry smiled sadly.

"Wha—why?!"

Winry took a seat on the mattress of her bed and Ed sat next to her. "You remember my uncle Ely?"

"The one who has been trying to adopt you for nearly ten years?" Ed asked.

"Yeah…He's the one. Well, somehow, he obtained my legal guardianship. I don't know how but however he got ahold of it, he didn't do it legally. He probably slept with the judge or something." Winry replied.

"But you're sixteen! Practically an adult! Why can't you make your own decisions to stay where you want to?"

"I wish it were that easy, Ed! I don't want to leave either but I have to!"

"The hell with it! You don't have to go anywhere you don't want to!"

"Ed, he threatened to sue my grandmother for kidnapping me! Even if she's my grandmother, if I live here, it is as good as kidnapping. I don't want that! It's just better if I leave. Don't worry; you'll still be able to visit me! I promise!" Winry replied and automatically leaned her head against his shoulder.

Ed, feeling sorry for her, pressed his cheek against her head. He didn't know what to say! He wanted to tell her not to go but how could he?!

Suddenly, Winry wiped her teary eyes and said, "Well, I guess you could use a tune-up. By the way, if you ever need a tune-up, you'll have to have Granny give you one. Uncle Ely told me to leave all of my Automail-related belongings here because he doesn't want me to be working on any projects in his house."

"He can't do that! He can't deprive you from the very thing you love!" Ed stated firmly. "No one has that right!"

"He's my legal guardian now! I have to respect him! If I don't and he rejects me, I'll belong to the country. I can't let that happen!" Winry replied, clenching her fists.

Ed wrapped his hands around each of her fists and said, "Let me buy you a small place to set up business! I have enough funds! I'm sure if you work on your Automail elsewhere, he'd let you bring it!"

"Ed, there isn't any room to take any of it! Even if I wanted to take it, I have no way of getting it there!"

Ed still didn't release her hands, "Then let me pay for moving services! I'll personally see to it that your Automail stuff is delivered. Let me help you, Winry!"

"I wish it were that simple, Ed. I do. My uncle is strict. If, when I arrive, he allows me to rent a small place for my Automail, maybe. But, until then, it's best if you just see Granny about maintenance."

"Winry…Don't be like that." Ed solemnly stated.

"You think this isn't hard enough on me?! I have to leave the one person who has cared for me in the last decade and has taught me everything I know! I have to leave the only town I've ever lived in! I have to leave the one room I've ever slept in! This isn't easy for me, Ed! None of it is! How can you tell me not to act the way I'm acting? Huh?! I'm trying really hard not to cry right now because I'll be leaving every person and everything I love, you, especially, Ed!"

The instant she said that, she regretted it. She covered her mouth and looked away, ashamed. 'How can he love me? He's too busy to save Al than to even think of me like that! I'm so foolish!'

Ed stood still. He didn't know what to say or do. All he did was freeze, hoping the awkward silence would pass.

It didn't for nearly five minutes.

"J-just forget I said anything." Winry suddenly whispered.

"W-winry?" Ed didn't think he could forget something like that. Her words continually replayed in his mind as he tried to analyze it. He could only come to one conclusion—Winry loves him.

"I'm sorry, Ed! I…I was talking foolishly! Here I was talking about my problems and not even considering the weight you carry every day. It was inconsiderate and rude. I'm sorry." She replied

Suddenly, Ed wrapped his arms around her to try to give her comfort.

"We all have burdens we carry, Winry. Just because I have many of them, doesn't mean yours aren't any less important. Remember that, okay?"

Winry nodded and fell to the floor, Ed bent down to keep his arms around her.

Ed could tell that she was fighting her tears and said, "Winry, sometimes it is okay to cry for drastic changes in our lives. I don't blame you if you want to cry this one. It'll be our secret, okay?"

All of a sudden, Winry wrapped her arms around him. "I don't want to leave!" she sobbed.

"I know you don't."

She didn't stop crying. She was leaving a life behind so she had 16 years' worth of crying to shed and Ed didn't stop her. He just kept his arms around her and every once in a while, he'd stroke her back.

After nearly two hours of heartfelt sobs, she just couldn't cry anymore. Her eyes were puffy and her cheeks were stained. Ed wiped her face with his thumbs and said, "When do you leave?"

"Tomorrow morning around nine." She replied.

"Oh. I see. I'll go with you if you want me to." Ed said.

"No. I can't ask you to do that, Ed. Not when you have Alphonse to think about."

"I'm sure Al won't mind sticking around here for a few days. I want to do it, Winry." Ed smiled.

"W-what if Uncle E-ely s-says no?"

"To hell with him! If I have to, I'll lightly threat him until he says yes. Just leave your uncle to me, alright?"

Winry nodded and rubbed her nose on her shirt. "I should start on your Automail now."

"It can wait." Ed replied.

"No…It's best if I do it now…I still need to pack." She stated as the two stood up.

"Alright. If you want to." Ed said as he followed her into the workroom.

When they entered the room, Ed's eyes widened after seeing all of the Automail arms and legs placed on the shelves. "Winry…are all these for me?"

"Yes…Uncle Ely came by one month ago and told me to be ready in a month. Since I can't take any Automail items with me, I made at least fifteen models that should last you well more than a year. Grandma could easily adjust the height so that isn't a problem."

"What about your other costumers?" Ed asked.

"I didn't make them any. You see, all of their models are downgrades from yours. Since you travel a lot, I make yours better than I do the other people. Their limbs are for merely getting around town every day. Yours are to get around the country." She replied.

Ed gave her a small side hug and said, "Thanks. It means a lot."

"You're welcome." Winry replied.

She tuned up Ed's leg and arm before Pinako called them for dinner.

**鋼の錬金術****師**

Ed didn't waste time gobbling up his stew as Pinako and Winry ate with patience.

"Ed, you're going to choke one of these days if you don't slow down." Pinako stated before sipping her dinner.

"Well at least I'll be dying happy." Ed said sarcastically before demanding for more. Pinako rolled her eyes as she dropped another scoop into his bowl. Ed, once again, resumed to his terrible eating habits.

Winry suddenly stood up and said, "I'm not hungry. I've got more packing to do."

She walked up the stairs and Ed declared, "Done!"

"Ed, how convenient that you are done the same time Winry excuses herself. You should help her pack."

Ed said no more. He disappeared up the stairs and allowed the other two to eat his dust.

**鋼の錬金術****師**

Ed walked into Winry's room and said, "Do you need help?"

"N-no…I think I've got it all. Before I go to bed though, I think I'm going to take a late night walk around the land. I'm gonna miss it and would like one last look before I leave." Winry replied with a sad smile.

"Sure. Want me to company you?" Ed asked.

"If you wouldn't mind." Winry stated as she slipped her coat on.

As Al and Pinako were busy cleaning the kitchen, Ed and Winry snuck out of the house, not wanting to be hassled.

"Where do you wanna go?"

"How about the swing over by the pond?" she asked.

"Sounds good to me." Ed replied as he wrapped his flesh arm around her shoulders. "By the way, the arm and leg feel great! I'm anxious to fight with Al later."

"You're welcome…I wanted to make sure it was as perfect as it could be since I won't be able to fix it." She said while concentrating on her footwork. She didn't want to fall…especially in front of Ed.

"Winry, it's always perfect, you know that. Each time, you exceed perfection. End of story." Ed stated plainly.

Winry blushed, hoping he wouldn't notice her rosy cheeks in the dark.

"T-thanks." She smiled.

The two walked to the swing and took a seat next to each other. Winry laid her head against Ed's shoulder and Ed laid his against her head.

"Promise me you'll come and visit in case Uncle Ely won't let you come." Winry whispered.

"Winry, you know I will. Besides, even if your uncle wouldn't let me visit, I can always use my Alchemy and force my way in." Ed smirked.

"Promise me something. Please?"

"Anything."

"Promise you'll look after Granny and Den. Granny may be too stubborn to realize it, but she needs companionship." Winry stated as she looked up at him.

"Of course. Will you be able to write?"

"I don't know. Uncle Ely is strict. I don't know what he plans for me." She replied.

"Well…he can't stop you from writing. Hell, he shouldn't be able to stop you from doing anything you want to do. If I have to, I'll make you a secret escape route from your room if you ever need a breather."

"Really? You'd do that?"

"Sure, Win." Ed smiled. "If this Uncle Ely treats you unfairly in any way, I want to know immediately."

"H-how? H-how will I be able to contact you?" Winry asked.

"Call the Command Center in Central. They will transfer your call to me at my current location." Ed replied.

"Okay." Winry answered. Suddenly she stood up. "Wanna go for a swim?"

"A swim?"

"Yeah! I think the cold water would feel refreshing! Besides, I wanna spend one last time in this pond before I leave tomorrow. It contains many memories."

Ed couldn't argue with that. He especially remembers when she threw a wrench at his head and pushed him into the water for transmuting her Automail. Soon afterwards, she slipped in, landing on his head.

"Alright." Ed smirked as he took off his coat, shirt and black slacks.

Winry followed suit by slipping off her skirt and her white tank top, revealing her lace panties and black tube top.

"You jump in first." Ed stated.

"No way. You first!" she replied as she shivered slightly.

"How about we jump in together?" Ed asked as he gestured towards the pond.

"Alright. On a count of three." Winry said.

"One."

"Two"

"THREE!" the said together.

Ed took a large leap into the pond but Winry didn't budge. She stayed and snickered. "I can't believe you fell for that!"

Ed bobbed to the surface of the water and said, "That's not fair, Winry! You cheated!"

"Says the one who fooled Al earlier so he could win a race." She laughed.

"T-that's different!" Ed exclaimed. "Now get your butt in here or I'll pull you in!"

"You better catch me!" she stated.

"Winry, it isn't like you're going to sink to the bottom. The pond is only four feet deep!"

"Says you! You barely can touch the bottom!"

"WHO'RE YOU CALLING SO SMALL THAT YOU CAN'T SEE HIM BEYOND A BLADE OF GRASS!?" Ed ranted, flailing his arms into the air. Winry took that opportunity to jump into the pond, causing a medium splash.

Ed coughed up some of the water and said, "YOU DON'T JUMP WHILE SOMEONE HAS THEIR MOUTH OPEN!"

"Then grow up and stop acting like a little kid!" Winry stammered.

"I'M NOT LITTLE!"

"I DIDN'T SAY YOU WERE!"

"DID TOO!"

"DID NOT!" she shouted before dumping him into the water.

"STOP THAT!" he shouted after he came up for air.

She started splashing him and he splashed back, causing an all-out war.

After a while, Winry finally stopped splashing and dove under the water. As she swam underneath, she thought, 'What will I do when I get there? What if…What if Ed doesn't visit? I mean, he normally only sees me when he needs maintenance. That was his only reason, right? What other reason would he have for visiting?'

She brought herself up to the surface and inhaled a deep breath. 'That felt nice.'

"You're quite the swimmer, Winry." Ed stated.

"Well, I do swim here a lot when you are gone. It helps clear my mind." She smiled. "Come on, let's go."

Winry hopped out of the water and Ed followed. Then, he had a suddenly great idea. Something she would never expect. Ed wrapped his arms around her from behind and slightly lifted her off the ground.

"What're you doing!?"

"Just thought you could use an extra rinse." He smirked as he was about to throw her back into the water.

"Put me down! Ed! Right now!" she demanded.

"Nah…This is fun."

Ed was about to throw her in when she grabbed on to his hair-braid and pulled him in with her.

"Winry! That wasn't part of the plan!"

"Oh?! What plan are you speaking of, Ed?" she asked as she got dangerously close to him.

"Uhhhhh….You know…I hadn't exactly figured that far ahead…" he replied nervously.

"Figures…" Winry rolled her eyes before hoisting herself out of the pond. "You better not throw or pull me in this time. I'm cold!"

"This was your idea!" Ed exclaimed as he pulled himself out of the water.

"Yeah but I didn't plan on going back in after coming out! Whose idea was that? Hmmmm?"

"Anyways, what're you going to use as a towel?"

"You're coat for throwing me back in!" Winry replied as she searched for his coat. "Though it would be a lot easier if it wasn't this dark."

"Hey now! That's not fair!" Ed complained as he helped her search for it. "Can you even see anything?"

"Not really…only the house lights but that's not enough light for us to find our clothes…"

Suddenly, Ed tripped over a log and accidentally pushed Winry onto the ground.

"ED! WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING!" Winry complained.

Ed got off of her and said, "SORRY! IT ISN'T MY FAULT THAT I CAN'T SEE WORTH A DAMN!"

Ed found his red coat and his other clothes and said, "If you wanna use my coat, you've gotta catch up to me!" The moment he said that, he bolted towards the house, only to trip again not too far from where he started.

Winry laughed, picked up whatever she could find with her hands and said, "You're useless sometimes, Ed. Why can't you just transmute something to help us find our way?"

"Winry! You're a genius!" Ed stated. "Where are you?"

"Just keep talking, I'll follow yo—AH!" she lightly screamed as she tripped over Ed's leg. "This isn't getting us anywhere!"

"Hey, hang on to me. I'm going to transmute a path for us." Ed said.

"O-okay." Winry replied as she found his arm and held on to it with one hand and her clothes in the other.

Ed clapped his hands together and after a small light show, she felt the ground starting to move beneath her. They made their way to the house, got off their little makeshift conveyer belt. Ed clapped his hands once again and transmuted the ground back to its original state.

"There. That was easy enough." Ed said with accomplishment. Winry grabbed his coat from him while he was distracted and began wiping her body with it.

"Winry! What're you doing?!"

"I told you! You threw me in, now you have to pay the price! Chill Ed, it isn't like I'm wiping my butt with it. I'm just drying myself off." She rolled her eyes and then threw it back to him.

As she slipped into her clothes, Ed used his coat to dry himself off as well and also redressed. They entered the house, closed the door quietly and tiptoed up the steps.

Winry went to her room and Ed followed.

"Ed, you have your own room. Go there. I'm going to clean up in the shower and then go to bed. I suggest you do the same after me." Winry stated.

"Oh. Right." Ed replied before leaving Winry to herself.

As she peeled out of her wet clothes, she noticed a few scrapes on her knees from getting out of the water. 'Oh well. They'll be better by morning.'

She wrapped a towel around her body and walked into the bathroom, closing the door to take a shower.

**鋼の錬金術****師**

Winry tossed and turned in her bed. She couldn't help but worry about the course of events happening the next day. She didn't want to leave and she definitely did not want to live with her uncle Ely. But, because of the law, she has no say in the matter. At least, not until she's eighteen.

She pulled off her sheets, slipped her bathrobe on and walked to Ed and Al's room. She slowly opened its door and saw Al against the wall and Ed still wide awake.

"Winry?" Ed whispered as he saw her figure within the door's crack. He quietly slid out of bed and walked over to her. "Is everything alright?"

"I couldn't sleep."

"Neither could I." he replied. "Come on. Maybe it'll be easier if we sleep together tonight."

She nodded and led him to her room. Ed had no intention of disrespecting her in any way and Winry knew that. When Ed wanted to be, he was a great gentleman.

Ed slipped under the covers next to Winry and said, "Long day tomorrow. Let's get some shuteye."

"Okay…" she replied as she wrapped her arms around his torso. Ed froze at first but adjusted to her sudden touch, secretly enjoying it. She placed her cheek against his chest and before he knew it, she was sound asleep.

'It's amazing what one litt—I mean what one thing could do to change the outcome of the situation." He thought as he almost called himself 'little'.

**鋼の錬金術****師**

The next morning came faster than the speed of light for the Rockbell/Elric family and a certain young mechanic was not ready to leave.

They all ate breakfast silently and frowned when they heard a knock on the door. Winry took no chances and raced up the stairs. She wanted to hide—to do anything to try and not go with Uncle Ely. Ed followed her and Alphonse decided to stay in case Pinako needed his help for any reason.

"Hello Ely. Punctual indeed." Pinako stated as she opened the door.

"I brought my wagon. She can put her boxes there." He said gruffly.

"She will not be lifting a finger. You, as her new guardian, should want to load the wagon for her."

"Look Old Hag, I could have easily told her to not bring anything at all but I decided to play the good cop and allow her to bring some of her belongings. So tell her to get her ass down here and load the wagon. Either that or we leave without it."

Al stood up and said, "I'll load it, Granny! It'll be easier for me to do it since I can carry more at once."

"Alright, Alphonse. You do that while Ely and I have a little chat."

"Sure thing!" Al replied and started grabbing some boxes.

Pinako pulled Ely into the kitchen and said, "If I find out that you have mistreated my granddaughter. I'll personally drag her out of there myself and press charges!"

"Do what you want. You won't win anyways." He stated.

"We'll see."

"Now where is she?!"

"She'll be down in a few minutes. She's just making sure she has everything. Now, I want to ask you something."

"Lady, I don't have all day."

"I know which is why I'm going to make it brief. Winry's friend, Edward, would like to buy her a private, small shop so she can work on her Automail. She promises she won't allow her business to get in your way and this is her only way to earn money. You don't have to take her Automail down today. It can wait until Ed comes to visit."

"What?! If she wants a space for her Automail, that's fine. That way I won't have to provide for her or anything. But there will be no visitors. I don't have the time or money to entertain guests."

"Like you said, Ely, Winry would be fending for herself. I'm sure she could entertain her own guests if she wants them."

Just to get Pinako off his back, he growled a 'Whatever' and headed towards the stairs.

**鋼の錬金術****師**

Winry placed her sheets in her last box as Ed transmuted a little elevator on the side of her house so they wouldn't have to take the boxes down. He lowered them down one by one as Al removed them.

"Thanks Al! There's one more!" Ed shouted downwards as he placed the last box on the elevator before lowering it.

"I can't believe the room is empty."

"Me neither. You'll come home, though. I know you will." Ed smiled.

Winry was about to wrap her arms around him one last time before three loud thuds banged on the door.

"GET YOUR ASS DOWN HERE NOW! I WANT TO LEAVE BEFORE THE TRAFFIC!"

Winry sadly sighed and said, "Meet Uncle Ely—the only man more impatient than you, Ed."

"He has no right to yell at you like that." Ed stated.

"And you have one?" Winry chuckled lightly before opening the door.

Uncle Ely gave her a scowl and said, "Your grandma asked me about that stupid Automail space you want. As long as it doesn't bother with my schedule or conflict with house space, you may have one on the condition that you only work from 9 in the morning to 3:30 in the afternoon. No exceptions."

"Really! You mean that?!" she exclaimed.

"Whatever."

"Sir," Edward spoke up, "I'll be the one paying for her little space. If you don't mind, I'd like to join the journey so I can start the payment as soon as possible."

"Absurd! I only have one seat available and that's gonna be hers." He replied as he pointed to Winry.

"Oh. Right. I'll just come by another time…What city are you living in?"

"I live in Central. You may only come and pay for that damn shop space. You cannot visit nor call. My house is too small for extra people and if I ever see you on the property, I'll report you to the authorities."

"Excuse me, Sir but I have certain rights as a State Alchemist. I'm practically my own authority and I am authorized to step into anyone's property for any reason I see fit. If you don't believe me, ask the bastard they call Colonel Mustang. He'll vouch for me. Anyways, how will I let Winry know about her shop?"

"You can call once and only once. Pinako has the number and she's the only one who can call more than once. Now, get your ass downstairs, Winry. I don't have all damn day."

Winry looked at Ed for support and he walked closely beside her as the descended the stairs.

Everything was packed and ready to go. The only addition left is Winry. Uncle Ely waited for Winry as she said her goodbyes.

She hugged her grandmother and then wrapped her arms around Alphonse. When she arrived in front of Ed, she didn't know what to do. And neither did he.

"G-goodbye Ed…" she muttered, looking downward to avoid his gaze.

"See ya around, Win. You know I will." He replied and patted her head. She nodded and turned around.

As she was about to enter the vehicle, she stopped. She turned around and looked Edward deep in the eyes, trying to find any hope in all of this. Ignoring her uncle's impatient calls, she ran back to Edward and leaped into his arms before boldly interlocking her lips with his. Ed held her tightly as he almost immediately kissed her back.

As they poured their hearts for one another, Pinako and Al looked away to give them some sort of privacy. Ely, on the other hand, continued to rudely honk his horn.

Winry slightly drew back from his lips and whispered, "Please don't forget me!"

"Never, Winry." Ed muttered into her ear. He brought his lips to hers one last time before adding, "I love you, Winry."

She gasped. She never expected Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist, to ever return her feelings. She started crying and replied, "I love you too Ed!"

Ed released his grip from hers and walked her, hand in hand, to the vehicle. "Here." He said as he handed her a sheet of paper that said, "OPEN WHEN YOU ARE ALONE!"

"Thanks!" she mouthed before blowing him a kiss.

Ed watched as Winry rode away from him but, even though this was a temporary goodbye, he knew he would not make it the last time he ever sees Winry. He loves her and will do whatever possible to get her back.

**鋼の錬金術****師**

**One Month Later**

**鋼の錬金術****師**

No matter how much money she earned as an Automail mechanic in Central, her uncle always took her cash. He called it 'Rental Fee' where if she didn't pay him her earnings, he would quit feeding her. As if that wasn't already an issue.

Uncle Ely was already practically starving her. If she didn't do something right, he would either cut her rations in half or not feed her at all. But that wasn't the worst of the torture….

Winry wiped the sweat off of her eyebrow after finishing her latest 'Edward-Project.' She knew she had several models for him but she just couldn't stop tinkering with new ways of creating better Automail for him.

"Winry? Is that you?" a familiar female voice asked from the entrance of her little shop.

"Long time no see, Miss Riza." Winry smiled.

"Please, just call me Riza. We don't need the formalities. What're you doing in Central?" Riza asked.

Winry would love to tell the Lieutenant but her uncle specifically told her to never tell anyone why she's really in Central. "I…I thought Automail business would be better in a city that doesn't really have any Automail providers."

"How did you get this nice place for your business?!"

"Ed is paying for it for me. He's so nice, you know? When I told him I was planning on coming to Central to start a small, private business, he offered in a matter of seconds to use his money to pay for this small place." Winry smiled.

"Well, when do you finish up? I was on my way to have a light dinner at the local café. Would you care to join me?" Riza asked.

"I'm just finishing up. I have to be somewhere in an hour or so…A light meal would be nice!"

"Of course. Don't worry, I'll pay for it." Riza smiled.

"I couldn't let you do that!"

"Nonsense. I don't mind. It would be rude of me to ask you to join me for dinner and not pay."

"O-okay." Winry replied as she placed Ed's future arm on the shelf with all the other arms. She placed a sheet over her creations and turned off the light. "I'm ready."

"Alright. The café isn't too far from here. Do you mind walking?"

"Nope!" Winry replied as she locked her little shop.

The two women walked to the café, ordered their food and sat down in one of the small booths.

"So, how is business treating you?"

"It's been alright. Not many people here use Automail so business is a bit thin. But I don't mind. Ed normally pays a sufficient amount when he can. He does have plenty of Rush Order Bills to make up for."

Riza laughed. "I bet Ed is happy to know you're shop is pretty close to his apartment."

"What?! It is?!"

"Indeed. In fact, his apartment is three buildings from here. Number 307."

"I thought he had a different apartment closer to the Command Center." Winry stated.

"Well, he did. About two weeks ago, he came and moved all of his belongings to the lodgings he has now. I guess he moved there specifically because it was close to your store. I was sure he would have told you."

"Well…it has been hard to get a hold of him lately." She replied, hinting a small amount of sadness.

"I'm sure he'll contact you as soon as he comes back."

Suddenly, the waitress brought their food to them. The moment Winry saw the steamed bun placed in front of her, she grabbed it and started cramming it into her mouth like a lunatic.

'She must be incredibly hungry…' Riza thought. Almost immediately afterwards, her eyes darkened.

"Winry, how often do you eat?"

"Not much…Even when I do get a chance to eat, it isn't much of a ration." She replied.

"I can't believe I didn't notice before! You're almost skin and bones!" Riza exclaimed.

"I get by, Riza. Don't worry, I'm alright." Winry lied.

"If you say so. Just promise me you'll try to eat more. You're too young to worry about your health." Riza replied.

"I know. It's just hard to get food." Winry stated.

"Winry, is there something you're not telling me?" Riza asked before sipping her coffee.

"N-no! Of course not! I'm telling you everything!" she stammered before stuffing her mouth once again with her bun.

Riza gave her a look, knowing something was up but didn't touch the subject any further.

The women ate the rest of their meal in silence until Winry looked at her watch. "Oh no!"

"What is it?!"

"I-I g-got to go!" she exclaimed. "I'm s-sorry, Riza! I…I am late for something!"

In seconds, the young engineer bolted out of the café and started running down the street towards her shop.

'What's going on?' Riza asked herself in bewilderment. As she was about to leave the café, Roy walked in.

"Hey!" he smiled. "I think I just saw Fullmetal's friend, Winry, running down the street. Don't tell me you scared her off."

"Oh hush, Colonel. It wasn't like that. She was suddenly late for something and apparently couldn't afford to be. Did you know she moved to Central?"

"Did she now? No, I didn't. Does Fullmetal know?"

"Yes. He's the one who helped her get settled." Riza replied. "Do you want anything?"

"Nah…I just came to say hi. Speaking of Fullmetal, I hear he is back in Central."

"Really? Well good. I don't know why but Winry is hiding something…It's possible she's hiding it from Ed as well."

"What could it be?"

"I don't know. I noticed she was super thin and literally stuffed that bun into her mouth the moment she saw it. Knowing Winry, she must have been super hungry in order to eat that sloppily in public."

"Maybe I should have someone investigate it…" Roy replied.

"No…Have Ed investigate it if anyone. She would freak out if she noticed strangers were following her."

"Sure thing."

As the two spoke on friendly terms, it never occurred to them the dark life Winry now is living.

**鋼の錬金術****師**

'Oh no! I'll be late! I can't make it back in five minutes!' her mind screamed as she continued to run home.

She didn't stop running for fear of what her uncle might do if she walked in past her curfew. He was a strict man and anything goes as punishment.

'Why the heck did I accept that dinner offer?! Oh, yeah, because I was super hungry.'

She managed to arrive home ten minutes past her curfew. 'Maybe he is passed out on the couch from all that damn alcohol he drinks.'

Winry opened the front door and tiptoed into the building. 'Good…He must have fallen asleep.'

As she quietly walked up the stairs, a voice called, "Winry! Is that you?!"

"Y-yes…It's me." She replied as her fists clenched tightly.

She heard footsteps coming towards her. "Why are you late?!"

"I-I got held up…" she lied.

"That's no damn excuse!" he yelled as he swaggered towards her.

"I-I'm sorry! I lost track of the t—"

Winry couldn't finish her phrase because Uncle Ely grabbed ahold of her hair and yanked her down the stairs. She yelped in pain.

"You listen here and you listen good, you piece of trash! I have rules and if you're going to disobey them, you might as well expect a good beating."

"P-please don't!" Winry pleaded.

"SHUT UP YOU BITCH!" he screamed as he rammed his punch into her stomach. She wanted to crouch in pain but his grip on her hair was too tight and only caused her to swing in the air.

"I DIDN'T BECOME YOUR LEGAL GUARDIAN JUST SO YOU COULD DISOBEY ME! NOW PIPE YOUR TONGUE AND BEHAVE LIKE THE TRASH YOU ARE!" he yelled as he threw her into the wall.

Winry struggled to breath from the impact. As she tried to stand, he grabbed her shirt and slammed her against the opposite wall before punching her in the eye.

She cried in pain as he continued to pound his fists and feet against her body. She hated it. Every moment of it.

When he was finished with his 'fun', he said, "Now you get your ass upstairs. I don't want to hear a single word from you. If I do, I'll make sure you won't be able to walk in the morning!"

Winry gritted her teeth together as she hoisted herself to stand. She was sure she had at least three cracked ribs but what can she do? She couldn't leave and if she did, she would just receive another beating.

She scrambled up the steps and eventually made it into her room. She stumbled onto her bed and reached for the nearest pillow to cover her sobs.

She tried to cry but every time she released a sound, her body tensed in agony.

She clenched her stomach as she made her way to the bathroom. Slowly and carefully, she peeled off her clothes to look at her horribly bruised body. She didn't even know that bruises could darken so much.

She turned on the showerhead and stepped in. As painful as the shower was, she was grateful to this wonderful invention. It was the only time she could think clearly without interruptions. As she pulled her clothes back on, she heard Uncle Ely's car zoom away from the house.

Winry slipped on a hoody over her body and barely made it to her bed before collapsing from the pain. 'How did I get myself into this mess!?'

She tried to roll herself over to face the ceiling but a cry of agony escaped her lips.

She decided it wasn't a great idea to move so she stayed in her position the entire night, hoping the pain would subside in the morning.

But it didn't.

Winry woke up to the sound of a car pulling into the driveway and, forgetting her recent episode, she abruptly bounced off the bed, causing her to hurl over and grab her stomach. A yelp escaped her lips. The second she made that cry, she regretted it because she heard stomps of anger thudding against the stairs.

The door busted open and Uncle Ely shouted, "I TOLD YOU NOT TO MAKE A SINGLE SOUND!"

Winry didn't dare say a single word, she just looked at him.

He walked over to her and grabbed her by the shirt. "DID I NOT MAKE MYSELF CLEAR TO YOU!?"

Still, she said nothing.

He flung her across the room where she crashed into a mirror, causing many lacerations against her stomach and chest.

Winry cried in pain as her uncle continuously slammed her against the mirror shards, deepening all of the cuts as well as creating new ones.

He grabbed her by the hair and placed his lips close to her ear before yelling, "NOW LISTEN TO ME DAMMIT! I'VE GOT TO GO TO TOWN FOR THE DAY AND WILL BE BACK TOMORROW MORNING. IF I FIND OUT YOU LEFT THIS HOUSE, YOU WILL REGRET IT! AND I MEAN IT!"

He slammed her back down onto the mirror slivers and left the room.

The second she heard the car leave the premises, she cried as much as she could, hoping someone would get her out of this hellhole.

**鋼の錬金術****師**

Ed woke up from his little nap and stretched. He walked over to the chair and put his coat on. 'Too bad Al isn't here. He would also want to see Winry but he said he wanted to go to Lior for some damn reason. Oh well. I'll call him later to make sure he had a safe arrival.'

Ed locked his apartment door and headed out. 'I can't wait to see the look on Win's face when she sees me.' He smirked at the very thought.

As he walked down the street, Riza stopped him. "Hey Ed!"

"Oh Hey, Lieutenant Hawkeye."

"Are you going somewhere?" she asked.

"Yeah…I was going to see Winry. I want to surprise her." He smiled.

"I'm sure she'll like that. If you can, you should take her out to dinner or something." Riza stated. "By the way, I saw her yesterday and she looked like she could use a meal…Actually, she looked like she hasn't eaten in weeks."

"Really? Did she tell you why?" Ed asked, concerned.

"No. She didn't. I asked her if there was something she wasn't telling me and she freaked out. She declared there wasn't anything going on so I left it alone. But the weirdest thing happened; she looked at the clock and bolted out of the café as if she feared what would happen if she was late or something. That's something I don't understand…I mean, she lives alone so why would she be worried about the time?"

"She's not living by herself, Lieutenant. She's living with her uncle. He somehow legally became her guardian and so she was ordered to move in with him."

"Really? That's strange. Why didn't she tell me that?"

"Maybe she was told not to by her uncle." Ed said darkly. "Who knows what else he could be making her do. I mean, he is a strict person after all."

Riza said her goodbyes and Ed could not help but worry for Winry. He had this weird feeling in the pit of his stomach and knew it wouldn't go away until he saw her and knew she was okay.

**鋼の錬金術****師**

"Alright…this is her house…It looks like her uncle isn't home…" he spoke as he walked to the front door. He clapped his hands together and managed to unlock the door without any effort. He then closed it and relocked it before heading for the stairs.

'He looked in all of the rooms and found no one in there. Then, he went to the only one with its lights off. He walked in, turned on the light and widened his eyes.

He saw Winry passed out on the floor covered in cuts and bruises. 'What happened!?" he mentally asked himself as he rushed towards her.

"Winry! Wake up! It's me, Edward!" he panicked. He placed his fingers over her wrist and praised silently when he felt a pulse. He didn't waste a minute. He picked her up and exited the house, running her to the nearest hospital.

**鋼の錬金術****師**

Winry slowly opened her eyes and noticed the room covered with white walls. 'Wh-where am I?'

Suddenly, she saw Ed sleeping in a chair next to her with his flesh hand clasped with hers. As she slightly shifted, she accidentally woke him up.

"Hey, you're awake!" Ed exclaimed before kissing her hand.

"W-Where am I?"

"I found you passed out in your room. I took you to the nearest hospital. Apparently, you broke three ribs as well as your collarbone. You also had to get about 37 stitches from shards that were embedded into your body. Luckily, with the help of alchemy, I was able to transmute the glass into a liquid state to make it easier for the shards to exit your body."

"How long have I been here?!"

"You've been asleep for three days since you were recovering from blood loss. I didn't leave your side once." He whispered.

Winry's eyes widened. "Three days!? You have to get me out of here! Now!"

"Winry, calm down. You're in no condition to move. You've lost a lot of blood. On top of that, you have four broken bones! You need to take it easy for a while."

"Ed, you don't understand! I've disobeyed him! He's probably waiting to b—" she didn't finish her sentence.

Ed's face darkened. "Did he do this to you?!"

"N-no." she lied.

"Winry, tell me the truth." He said with a straight face.

"He didn't!" she stammered. "I just fell! I tripped and fell on top of my mirror. That's all!"

"Winry, you have several bruises on your body that the mirror didn't even touch! In fact, they were round enough to fit an average male's fist! Now, tell me! Did he do this to you?!"

"What can I say?! No matter what I say, it won't change anything!"

"Winry, if he's touched you in any way, the court won't deem him as a proper guardian. You'd be able to go home! Don't you want that?!"

"I do, Ed! I do! It's just…He'll come after me! He told me to never tell anyone I was staying with him. He told me that if I go anywhere other than work and he finds out, he'll stop feeding me. Oh Ed! He's done so many things and said so many things. I kept just wanting to die, Ed! He's horrible and I can't stay there! I don't want to stay there!"

Ed squeezed her hand tighter. "Winry, you don't have to! You can stay with me! I'll protect you from him, I promise!"

"H-has he tried to come for me?!" she asked, worried.

"Yes…The hospital called him yesterday. He came in to see where you were and lied, saying that you fell down the stairs while carrying a bottle of wine. When he left, I told them he lied because I didn't find you down the stairs and I know for a fact that you don't drink."

"Thanks. So he knows I'm here?!"

"Yeah. Even if he didn't hurt you, he proclaimed he saw the whole thing. If they don't charge him for assault, they'll charge him for child negligence which is basically the same sentence." Ed replied.

"They can't make me go back to him! I can't face another day there!" she whined.

Ed brought his lips to hers for a short kiss before saying, "You won't have to, Winry. I'll make sure of it. If they do, I'll stay with you the entire time. I don't give a damn what he says. He can't force a State Alchemist out of his home for simply wanting to be with his girlfriend. I mean, look how bad that'll make him look?"

Winry wanted to cry with relief but it hurt too much.

"We'll get through this, I promise."

**鋼の錬金術****師**

**Alright, I lied. This will be a chapter fic because, well, apparently I write too much for a One Shot. . Sooooooo….yeah this will be a chapter fic. I don't know when my next update will be and it is possible that the future chapters will be a lot shorter…like half this length! :) **

**Toodles!**

**Keiko Fujiwara **


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